Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 40.djvu/434

 beard,’ and ‘large looking-glass’ of the ‘rich shopkeeper’ (Theological Works, ed. 1708, p. 258). A portrait of Niclaes is in John Davies's ‘Apocalypsis. … Faithfully and impartially translated out of the Latine by J. D.,’ London, 1655.

Although the ‘Family of Love’ maintained some existence in England for nearly a century and a quarter, Niclaes's doctrines were unsuited to English ideas, and appealed to a limited section of the population. John Rogers's description of them as ‘the drowsie dreames of a doting Dutchman’ represented the general esteem in which they were held (Displaying of an Horrible Secte). A translation of one of Nicklaes's tracts, ‘Terra Pacis’ (No. 15 below), is said to have suggested to Bunyan the scheme of his ‘Pilgrim's Progress.’ A Dutchman, Christopher Vitells or Vitel, a joiner by trade, born at Delft, and living at Colchester at Michaelmas 1555 (ib.) was the chief of Niclaes's original disciples in England. He was an ‘illuminate elder’ in the ‘Family,’ and the first English translations of Niclaes's books are ascribed to him. Vitells afterwards lived at Southwark, and is said by John Rogers [q. v.] (ib.) to have recanted his opinions.

It was not until about 1574 that the sect in England attracted public attention, by which time its numbers had become large, chiefly in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Essex. In that year they presented to parliament ‘An Apology for the Service of Love, and the People that own it, commonly called the Family of Love … with another Short Confession of Faith, made by the same People, and finally some Notes and Collections, gathered by a private Hand out of H. N., upon or concerning the eight Beatitudes’ (Cambridge and Lambeth). This was reprinted in London in 1656. They also issued ‘A Brief Rehersall of the Beleef of the Goodwilling in Englande, which are named the Famelie of Loue … set fourth Anno 1575,’ small 16mo (Lambeth); reprinted by Giles Calvert (London, 1656), who published many reprints of Niclaes's works.

On 12 June 1574 five persons of the ‘Family’ stood at ‘Paules Crosse,’ and publicly recanted, confessing that they ‘utterly detested H. N. his errors and heresies’ (, Annals, p. 679). Others of the sect were imprisoned, but they continued to increase. On 3 Oct. 1580 Queen Elizabeth issued ‘A Proclamation against the Sectaries of the Family of Love,’ ordering their books to be burnt and themselves to be imprisoned (A Collection of Articles, Injunctions, Canons, &c., London, 1675, p. 171). An abjuration (see, Concilia, iv. 296, 297) was drawn up and tendered, on 10 Oct. 1580, by the privy council to each familist (, Church Hist. ix. 113). Bills for the suppression of the sect were brought in, and passed on 27 Feb. 1580–1 (Commons' Journals, i. 128, 129, 130).

The familists presented an address to James I soon after his accession, Samuel Rutherford says about 1604 (Survey of the Spirituall Antichrist, London, 1648). It was answered by ‘A Member of Cambridge University’ in ‘A Supplication of the Family of Love … examined and found to be derogatorie … unto the Glorie of God, the Honour of our King,’ &c., Cambridge, 1606. Persecution then appears to have ceased until 1645, when the sect revived under the leadership of one Randall, who preached ‘in a house within the Spittle-yard without Bishopsgate, neare London’ (, A Brief Discovery, 1645, p. 1). From 1649 to 1656 many of the books were reprinted, but before 1700 familists had become extremely rare in England.

Niclaes wrote a great number of books in a low German dialect, called by his English translators ‘Basse Almayne.’ Most or all of them were translated into English. A complete bibliography has yet to be made, the originals being of extreme rarity; some are only to be traced in the writings of opponents, others are not known except in the translations. The chief of them are to be found in the Mennonite Library, Amsterdam, and the University Library, Leyden. The best collection of English translations is in the University Library, Cambridge, to which Dr. Corrie presented his unique collection in 1884. The Britwell Library contains many of the earlier translations.

The books, especially the epistles, are often found not only separately but in varying combinations. They contain many curious cuts described by J. H. Hessels in the ‘Bookworm,’ 1869, pp. 81, 106, 116, 131, and by Ames in ‘Typographical Antiquities’ (ed. Herbert), iii. 1636–1643. Twelve extant woodcuts, executed by Richard Gaywood [q. v.] in 1656, were prepared and sent abroad for insertion in reprints of earlier editions, and bore the false dates of 1573, 1575, and 1577. Every book by Niclaes has the final motto ‘Charitas extorsit per H. N.’ The long titles are here abbreviated. His chief and rarest work is ‘Den Spegel der Gherecticheit, dorch den Geist der Lieffden vnde den vorgodeden Mensch H. N. vth de Hemmelische Warheit betüget.’ (The title-page is reproduced by Max Rooses, p. 62, as a specimen of Plantin's finest printing, executed at Antwerp about 1560.) Another edition is entitled ‘Speculum Justitiæ.